Method of wood-graining



Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE No Drawing. Application September 10, 1931, Serial No. 562,203

1 Claim.

My invention relates to methods of applying imitation wood-graining to metal and has particular reference to a method of this character to be used in conjunction with pre-shaped sheet 5 metal parts such as interior trimmings for automobiles, moldings, etc.

Heretofore imitation wood-graining has been applied to the metallic interior trimmings of automobiles after the metal has been shaped to the desired form. Among the disadvantages of this method are, it requires a maximum amount of labor and materially adds to the cost of the finished product.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of imitation woodgraining wherein the stock is finished with an imitation wood-grain prior to being passed through the rolling machine dies, dies and presses or other mechanism to give the metal the desired shape.

Further the invention provides a method of this character which will permit the stock to be given an imitation Wood-grain finishwhich will not be marred or otherwise mutilated by the rolling machine dies or other mechanism used to shape the metal.

With the foregoing objects in mind the invention consists in the sequence of steps and operations to be hereinafter specifically set forth and claimed.

In carrying my invention into practice flat strip or sheet metal stock is initially cleaned in any suitable manner. After the stock is thoroughly cleaned it is coated in any suitable manor hardening operation imitation wood-graining is applied. In this connection it is pointed out that any well known wood-graining method may be used which permits the graining ink to be applied directly to the paint or ground coat. In conclusion the grained stock is again baked or dried to cause the Wood-graining to adhere to the paint or ground coat.

If desired, any suitable finish may be applied to the imitation wood-graining such as lacquer.

After the metal stock has been given the imitation wood-graining finish, it is run through rolling machine dies, dies and presses or other shaping mechanism to shape the stock to form the desired trimming.

What I claim is:

In the production of pre-shaped ensemble units, wherein the unit is of sheet metal characteristic with the surface of the unit ornamented in simulation of wood graining, and

wherein the sheet metal is subjected to heavy stress conditions by the sheet manipulation during fashioning of the ensemble unit, the method of producing the unit which consists in applying to the cleansed basic stock from which the unit is to be fashioned a coating of elastic paint, then hardening the coat by the application of oven heat, then applying and aflixing an imitation wood graining to the hardened surface of the coat by the application of oven heat to complete the graining ornamentation of the unit while in stock form with the graining ornamentation exposed and then fashioning the unit from the ornamented stock to produce the desired shaped form of the unit, whereby damage to the applied ornamentation produced by the shaping stresses during the unit shaping will be prevented by the elastic coating.

JOHN OLIVER BLACK. 

